18Ties that Bind chapter 1
It was a rainy day in London when most people would be indoors. The Watcher's Council was in a new building after the old one was blown up by agents of the First Evil a year previously. Passer's-by would have seen the sign on the building, reading 'Summers and Giles Antiquities', a cover for the organization's true purpose- protecting humanity from the forces of the darkness, whether they were demons, vampires or just plain evil humans. A man in a suit was on the telephone, but as he hung up, he saw a pretty brunette walk in.
"Ah, Dawn, how are you?" asked the Englishman, smiling at the pretty brunette, who was looking rather professional in a skirt and a smart red top.
"I'm fine thanks, Giles. Who was that on the phone?" replied the brunette. She was Dawn Summers, sister to the legendary Buffy Summers who was known in the underworld as the Queen of the Slayers. Buffy spent her time in Italy training the Slayers there while her younger sister was studying to become a Watcher.
"That was Riley Finn if you remember him," said Giles.
"Yeah, he used to date my sister, but he left her for some operation in the jungle. So, what does he want?" replied Dawn as she remembered the only human that her sister dated, because for some reason, Buffy mostly dated vampires such as Angel or Spike, and was now going out with a being known as 'The Immortal', who was something that could not be defined as a either vampire or a demon. Dawn hoped her sister was happy in Italy, because she did miss her big sister despite her bouts of overprotectiveness.
"It seems that the Council has been asked to help with the situation in Los Angeles," said Giles.
"L.A… isn't that Angel's turf" asked Dawn, looking shocked. She remembered the implanted memories of her sister's first love- the dark-haired brooding vampire who always looked sad, not to mention the time at Sunnydale High when Angelus grabbed her by the throat.
"Yes, it seems that the city has been overrun by demons and vampires according to Riley and his men. No one has heard from Angel or his team. Some believe that he is dead after crossing his bosses," replied Giles. Maybe he had misjudged Angel but earlier on there were good reasons for the Council to keep their distance.
"So, we have to do the clean-up," surmised Dawn. If Angel really was dead, Buffy would be devastated; people don't forget their first loves even if their relationship went terribly wrong. Besides, from what she heard from Willow, Angel's team were good people and their deaths were a blow for the forces of good.
"That's right. I need you to call everyone- including your sister- and get them to L.A," said Giles softly. What would Buffy or Dawn say if they knew that he had been hiding Spike's return from them? He had thought that Spike and Angel lost their souls again because they were involved with Wolfram and Hart together but news coming in from Riley seemed to suggest otherwise. He hoped that his surrogate daughter could set aside personal feelings to see to the big picture, but it was unlikely- Buffy and Spike formed a bond that was not easily explained during the fight against the First Evil.
"Okay, Andrew and I can ring everyone… who is our nearest operative to L.A?" asked Dawn, looking concerned. The idea of her friends and family going to a city that, according to CNN, had suffered a massive earthquake and was most likely now the playground of demons and vampires wasn't one she was too fond of.
"Faith Lehane. Our intel suggests she is in Stanford, California," said Giles; he hoped that they were not too late in taking back the city from the forces of evil.
"Great and can we trust her?" asked Dawn and she remembered the dark Slayer. While she had helped to defeat the First Evil, she had once been evil herself, and had threatened her mother and tried to kill her sister when she had woken up from her coma.
"Now Dawn, Faith has made amends and she has done good work in Cleveland, Stanford and helped to defeat the First," Giles reprimanded.
"I know Giles, believe me, I know," replied Dawn, sighing.
Meanwhile, in L.A, a black vampire with a shaven head had walked into a building followed by several more vampires with menacing grins.
"Who dares to interrupt the rest of Kr'ph, the demon Lord of Westwood?" barked a red skinned demon.
"My name is Charles Gunn, Red Boy, and I am here to collect your master's orb because Wolfram and Hart want their property back," said Gunn smirking evilly.
"Wolfram and Hart is gone. Angel betrayed them and the vampire with a soul is gone for good," boomed a new voice. It belonged to a blue-skinned being that was seated on a throne as servants fed him human flesh, much to Gunn's revulsion.
"Not gone, but rebuilding. We want our property back or you die," threatened Gunn.
"No! You will die! Boys, get them!" snapped Kr'ph. The fight was on. Gunn punched one demon in the head as his boys swarmed in like ants to take on the demons defending their master. A female vampire started shooting with a gun and several demons dropped, riddled with bullets.
"This is unacceptable! You must defend me, your master!" screamed Kr'ph, feeling fear for the first time since his takeover of Westwood.
"Now, you will negotiate with us. All the Senior Partners want is the orb of Ramras," said Gunn, smiling. He knew that the demon was not leaving here alive. He extended his hand and one of his gang passed him a gun as he fired at the demon Lord. The being dropped dead with a hole in the head and the surviving demons ran for their lives, leaving their master dead on the floor of his own palace.
"So where was Orb of Rama or whatever you said?" said the female, blonde vampire looking around in bewilderment.
"According to our source, Kr'ph swallowed it. Does anyone have an axe? I need to cut him open," said Gunn.
"Why does it have to be martial arts? An Uzi would have saved your ass by now," commented another vampire to the dead demons.
"Yes, it would have, but now I asked for an axe to cut open the demon," said Gunn impatiently, looking annoyed.
"Eww! That's just wrong," said Harmony, making a face. Since joining up with Gunn and his fellow vampires, she was having the time of her life because there was no Angel or Spike bossing her around; she wasn't a great fighter, so she often used guns and it had worked this time.
"Here, boss," said a skinny redhaired vampire, passing Gunn an axe. The black vampire took it and began dismembering the huge blue demon, before sticking his hand in and picking up a circular shaped object.
"Great work everyone. Harmony, let's go out to eat," said Gunn.
"Sure, thing my chocolate bear," said Harmony beaming at her boyfriend with a sickly-sweet grin.
"Don't call me that," snapped Gunn; several vampires sniggered before Gunn glared them into silence. The gang left feeling ecstatic at their completed mission.